JP2018047635A - Driving method for liquid jet device and liquid jet device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving method for a liquid jet device which can inhibit deterioration of recoverability of a defective nozzle after printing operation, in particular, after printing operation of a long printed matter, and to provide the liquid jet device.SOLUTION: A liquid jet device includes: a liquid jet head 2 which has nozzles 35 opening on a nozzle surface 34 and jets liquid from the nozzles 35; a wiper 54 which wipes the nozzle surface 34; and maintenance liquid which can inhibit deterioration of recoverability of a defective nozzle from which the liquid is not normally jetted. A driving method for the liquid jet device is characterized by including: a first liquid jet step where liquid jet operation in which the liquid is jetted to a medium from the nozzles 35 is conducted; a wiping step where wiping operation in which the nozzle surface 34 is wiped by the wiper 54 and the maintenance liquid is included in the nozzles 35 is conducted; and a second liquid jet step where the liquid jet operation is resumed after the wiping step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving method of a liquid ejecting apparatus including a wiper for wiping a nozzle surface, and a liquid ejecting apparatus.

  Liquid ejecting apparatuses equipped with a liquid ejecting head include, for example, image recording apparatuses such as an ink jet printer and an ink jet plotter, but recently, taking advantage of the feature that a very small amount of liquid can be landed accurately at a predetermined position. It is also applied to various manufacturing equipment. For example, a display manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, an electrode forming apparatus for forming an electrode such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display or FED (surface emitting display), and a chip for manufacturing a biochip (biochemical element) Applied to manufacturing equipment. In the image recording apparatus, liquid ink is ejected from the liquid ejecting head, and in the display manufacturing apparatus, a solution of each color material of R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue) is ejected from the liquid ejecting head. In the electrode forming apparatus, a liquid electrode material is ejected from the liquid ejecting head, and in the chip manufacturing apparatus, a bioorganic solution is ejected from the liquid ejecting head.

  The liquid ejecting head described above corresponds to, for example, a nozzle plate having a nozzle surface in which a plurality of nozzles are opened, a pressure chamber forming substrate in which a plurality of spaces serving as pressure chambers communicating with each nozzle are formed, and each pressure chamber. A plurality of piezoelectric elements (a kind of actuator) provided. The liquid ejecting head causes a pressure fluctuation in the pressure chamber by driving the piezoelectric element, and ejects a droplet from the nozzle using the pressure fluctuation. Here, when the liquid droplets are not ejected from the nozzles, the liquid is volatilized from the nozzles, and the liquid in the nozzles is easily thickened. When the liquid thickening proceeds, there is a possibility that nozzles that do not eject normal liquid, that is, so-called defective nozzles may be generated. For this reason, an ink jet recording apparatus configured to supply a sealing liquid to the nozzle surface using a roll (a type of wiper) that wipes the nozzle surface when not driven and to cover the liquid in the nozzle with the sealing liquid is disclosed. (See Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-162813

  By the way, the defective nozzle is caused by, for example, foreign matters, bubbles, or the like remaining in the vicinity of the nozzle, in addition to the increase in the viscosity of the liquid. In a printing operation in which liquid is ejected onto a medium such as recording paper, when such a defective nozzle occurs, if the printing operation continues without ejecting the liquid from the defective nozzle, the thickening and alteration of the liquid at the defective nozzle proceeds. To do. As a result, defective nozzles are difficult to recover in a cleaning operation such as a suction operation for forcibly discharging liquid from the nozzles after the printing operation. Or, the defective nozzle does not recover. That is, the recoverability of the defective nozzle is deteriorated. In particular, when the printing operation is performed continuously for a long time, the time during which the defective nozzle is exposed to the atmosphere tends to be long, so that the thickening of the liquid at the defective nozzle tends to proceed. Although it is conceivable to interrupt the printing operation and perform the cleaning operation, a somewhat long printing stop time is required for the cleaning operation, so that there is a gap between the printing area before cleaning and the printing area after cleaning. Discontinuity of ink drying occurs, and discontinuous printing unevenness occurs in the printed matter. Therefore, especially for long printed products, since printing unevenness does not occur, the printing operation is interrupted and the cleaning operation cannot be performed. Therefore, it takes a long time for the liquid to not be ejected from the defective nozzle during the printing operation. There was a problem that the nozzle was difficult to recover.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to drive a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of suppressing deterioration in recoverability of defective nozzles after a printing operation, particularly after a printing operation of a long printed matter. And providing a liquid ejecting apparatus.

A driving method of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention is proposed in order to achieve the above-described object, and includes a liquid ejecting head that has a nozzle that is open on a nozzle surface and ejects liquid from the nozzle, and the nozzle surface And a maintenance liquid capable of suppressing deterioration of recoverability of defective nozzles in which the liquid is not normally ejected.
A first liquid ejecting step for performing a liquid ejecting operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium;
A wiping step of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the wiper and including the maintenance liquid in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation is interrupted;
And a second liquid ejecting step for restarting the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping step.

  According to this driving method, even if a defective nozzle occurs during the liquid ejecting operation, maintenance liquid can be included in the defective nozzle. Therefore, in the cleaning operation after the liquid ejecting operation is completed, It can control that recovery nature deteriorates.

Further, the driving method of the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes a nozzle having an opening on the nozzle surface, a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from the nozzle, a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface, and a maintenance that includes a surfactant. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a liquid,
A first liquid ejecting step for performing a liquid ejecting operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium;
A wiping step of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the wiper and including the maintenance liquid in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation is interrupted;
And a second liquid ejecting step for restarting the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping step.

  According to this driving method, even if a defective nozzle occurs in the middle of the liquid ejecting operation, the defective nozzle can contain the maintenance liquid containing the surfactant, so the surfactant in the liquid in the defective nozzle The content of can be increased. As a result, the thickened liquid, foreign matter, and the like are easily separated from the wall surface in the nozzle and the like, and it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the recoverability of the defective nozzle in the cleaning operation after the liquid ejection operation is completed.

In the driving method, the liquid is a liquid containing a surfactant.
The surfactant contained in the maintenance liquid is the same substance as the surfactant contained in the liquid, and the concentration of the surfactant in the maintenance liquid is higher than the concentration of the surfactant in the liquid. The same substance as the agent,
The concentration of the surfactant in the maintenance liquid is preferably higher than the concentration of the surfactant in the liquid.

  According to this driving method, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the reliability of the liquid.

Furthermore, the driving method of the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes a nozzle having an opening on the nozzle surface, a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from the nozzle, a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface, and volatilizes more than the liquid. A liquid ejection device driving method comprising a maintenance liquid that is difficult and difficult to mix with the liquid,
A first liquid ejecting step for performing a liquid ejecting operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium;
A wiping step of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the wiper and including the maintenance liquid in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation is interrupted;
And a second liquid ejecting step for restarting the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping step.

  According to this driving method, even if a defective nozzle occurs during the liquid ejection operation, the maintenance liquid can be included in the defective nozzle, so that the maintenance liquid remains on the surface of the liquid in the defective nozzle, It can suppress that the liquid in a defective nozzle volatilizes. As a result, it is possible to suppress the thickening of the liquid in the defective nozzle, and it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the recoverability of the defective nozzle in the cleaning operation after the liquid ejecting operation is completed.

In any of the above driving methods, the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a nozzle inspection mechanism that detects defective nozzles in which the liquid is not ejected normally,
In the wiping step, it is desirable to perform a wiping operation when a defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism.

  According to this driving method, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the recoverability of the defective nozzle caused by leaving the defective nozzle for a long time.

  Further, in the above driving method, in the wiping step, the amount of the maintenance liquid contained in the nozzle according to the time from when the defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism to when the liquid ejection operation on the medium is completed It is desirable to adjust.

  According to this driving method, the consumption amount of the maintenance liquid can be suppressed.

In any of the above driving methods, after the wiping step and before the second liquid ejecting step, a flushing operation is performed to eject the liquid from the nozzle toward a region outside the medium. A flushing step,
In the flushing step, it is desirable not to eject liquid from the defective nozzle.

  According to this driving method, it is possible to prevent the maintenance liquid from being included in the liquid ejected from the normal nozzle in the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping operation. As a result, deterioration in image quality can be suppressed.

The liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes a nozzle that has an opening in a nozzle surface, and ejects liquid from the nozzle; and
A wiper for wiping the nozzle surface;
A maintenance liquid supply mechanism that supplies a maintenance liquid capable of suppressing deterioration of recoverability of a defective nozzle in which the liquid is not normally ejected to at least one of the nozzle surface and the wiper, and
Wiping in which the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper and the maintenance liquid supplied by the maintenance liquid supply mechanism is included in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium is interrupted An operation mode for performing an operation and then restarting the liquid ejection operation is provided.

Further, a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes a nozzle that has an opening in a nozzle surface, and ejects liquid from the nozzle; and
A wiper for wiping the nozzle surface;
A maintenance liquid supply mechanism for supplying a maintenance liquid containing a surfactant to at least one of the nozzle surface and the wiper,
Wiping in which the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper and the maintenance liquid supplied by the maintenance liquid supply mechanism is included in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium is interrupted An operation mode for performing an operation and then restarting the liquid ejection operation is provided.

Furthermore, a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention has a nozzle that is open on a nozzle surface, and a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from the nozzle;
A wiper for wiping the nozzle surface;
A maintenance liquid supply mechanism that supplies a maintenance liquid that is less volatile than the liquid and is less likely to mix with the liquid to the nozzle surface or at least one of the wipers,
Wiping in which the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper and the maintenance liquid supplied by the maintenance liquid supply mechanism is included in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium is interrupted An operation mode for performing an operation and then restarting the liquid ejection operation is provided.

  According to these structures, it can suppress that the recoverability of a defective nozzle deteriorates in the cleaning operation | movement after liquid ejection operation | movement is complete | finished.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a printer. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a printer. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a recording head. It is sectional drawing explaining the structure of a head unit. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a printing operation of a printer. It is a schematic diagram explaining the process of wiping operation | movement. It is a schematic diagram explaining the process of the wiping operation | movement in 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram explaining the wiping operation | movement in 3rd Embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiments described below, various limitations are made as preferred specific examples of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following description unless otherwise specified. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the following, an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a printer) will be described as an example of the liquid ejecting apparatus of the invention.

  FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating the internal configuration of the printer 1, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the electrical configuration of the printer 1. A recording head 2 which is a kind of liquid ejecting head is attached to the bottom surface side of a carriage 3 on which an ink cartridge 10 (a kind of liquid supply source) is mounted. The carriage 3 is configured to reciprocate along the guide rod 4 by a carriage moving mechanism 18. That is, the printer 1 sequentially conveys the recording medium (a kind of medium in the present invention) onto the platen 5 by the paper feed mechanism 17 and moves the recording head 2 relative to the width direction (main scanning direction) of the recording medium. An image or the like is recorded by ejecting ink (a kind of liquid in the present invention) from the nozzle 35 (see FIG. 4) of the recording head 2 and landing on the recording medium. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the ink cartridge is arranged on the main body side of the printer and the ink of the ink cartridge is sent to the recording head 2 side through the supply tube. Further, the ink of the present embodiment includes, for example, a surfactant such as polysiloxane or acetylene glycol.

  Inside the printer 1, a home position, which is a standby position of the recording head 2, is set at a position deviated from the platen 5 to one end side (right side in FIG. 1) in the main scanning direction. At this home position, a capping mechanism 6 and a wiping mechanism 7 are provided in order from one end side. The capping mechanism 6 includes a cap 51 made of an elastic member such as an elastomer and a pump unit 52, for example. The capping mechanism 6 is in a sealed state (capping state) in which the cap 51 is brought into contact with a lower surface (surface facing the recording medium) including the nozzle surface 34 (see FIG. 4) of the recording head 2. Or it is comprised so that conversion to the retreat state separated from the said lower surface is possible. The pump unit 52 is a unit that generates a negative pressure in the space in the cap 51 in the capping state. In other words, when the pump unit 52 is operated in the capping state, the space in the cap 51 is reduced to a negative pressure, and the ink in the recording head 2 is sucked from the nozzle 35 and discharged into the space in the cap 51. The ink discharged to the space in the cap 51 is discharged to a drain tank (not shown) via a drain tube connected to the cap 51. A series of operations (processing) by the capping mechanism 6 is a suction type cleaning operation (hereinafter simply referred to as a cleaning operation). The ink supply path on the upstream side (ink cartridge 10 side) of the recording head 2 is pressurized by, for example, an air pump, thereby pressurizing the inside of the flow path of the recording head 2 and discharging ink or the like from the nozzle 35. It is also possible to perform a pressure type cleaning operation.

  The wiping mechanism 7 in the present embodiment supplies maintenance liquid to the wiper 54 and a blade-like wiper 54 that is long along the direction intersecting the main scanning direction, in other words, the nozzle row direction of the head unit 20 described later. A maintenance liquid supply unit 55. The wiping mechanism 7 is configured to be convertible into a state in which the wiper 54 is in contact with the lower surface of the recording head 2 or in a retracted state separated from the lower surface, and is in contact with the lower surface of the recording head 2. It is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction in the state. The wiper 54 is made of, for example, a porous material made of resin so that the lower surface of the recording head 2 including the nozzle surface 34 can be wiped in a state where the maintenance liquid is absorbed and held. As the wiper 54, a roll-type wiper or the like in addition to a cloth in which the surface of an endless belt is covered with a cloth, a blade-like elastic material made of an elastomer or the like is covered with a cloth, and the like can be used. In short, various configurations can be adopted as the wiper 54 for wiping the nozzle surface 34. The wiping mechanism 7 moves (slids) either the wiper 54 or the recording head 2 in the main scanning direction with the wiper 54 in contact with the lower surface of the recording head 2 to move the nozzle surface 34. The lower surface of the recording head 2 is wiped off. A series of operations (processing) by the wiping mechanism 7 is a wiping operation.

  The maintenance liquid supply unit 55 (a kind of the maintenance liquid supply mechanism in the present invention) is a unit that includes a pump, a tube, and the like and supplies maintenance liquid to the wiper 54 from a tank (not shown) in which the maintenance liquid is stored. Here, at least in the wiping operation performed in the middle of the printing operation, the maintenance liquid supply unit 55 is operated to soak the maintenance liquid in the wiper 54, and the nozzle surface 34 is wiped in this state. By performing such a wiping operation, the maintenance liquid can be contained in the nozzle 35. The wiping mechanism 7 may have any configuration as long as the maintenance liquid can be contained in the nozzle 35 by the wiping operation. For example, a configuration in which maintenance liquid is directly supplied to the nozzle surface 34 by a maintenance liquid supply unit may be employed. In short, the maintenance liquid supply unit supplies maintenance liquid to at least one of the nozzle surface 34 and the wiper 54. In addition, it is possible to employ a configuration in which the maintenance liquid supply unit 55 is not provided in the wiping mechanism, and at least a part of the wiper is immersed in a tank in which the maintenance liquid is stored and the maintenance liquid is supplied to the wiper. In this case, the immersed part of the tank and the wiper corresponds to the maintenance liquid supply mechanism in the present invention. The wiping operation performed during the printing operation will be described in detail later.

  Here, the maintenance liquid is a liquid that can suppress the deterioration of the recoverability of the nozzle 35 where the ink is not normally ejected, that is, a so-called defective nozzle. The maintenance liquid does not necessarily contain a pigment or a resin. The maintenance liquid in the present embodiment is a liquid that contains a surfactant and is soluble (mixed) with ink. As the surfactant, for example, a surfactant such as polysiloxane or acetylene glycol is used. Note that the surfactant contained in the maintenance liquid is preferably the same substance as the surfactant contained in the ink. Further, it is desirable that the concentration of the surfactant in the maintenance liquid is higher than the concentration of the surfactant in the ink. If it does in this way, it can control that the reliability of ink deteriorates. That is, it is possible to increase the content of the surfactant in the ink in the nozzle 35 while suppressing the maintenance liquid mixed with the ink in the nozzle 35 from adversely affecting the ejection characteristics and image quality of the ink. Further, since it is not necessary to evaluate the reliability of the maintenance liquid separately from the ink, the recording head development period can be shortened. In addition to this, by applying a maintenance liquid containing a surfactant different from the surfactant contained in the ink to the nozzle 35 where the ink is not normally ejected, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the recovery of so-called defective nozzles. It is also possible to do.

  Next, the electrical configuration of the printer 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment controls each unit by a printer controller 11. The printer controller 11 in the present embodiment includes an interface (I / F) unit 12, a control unit 13, a storage unit 14, and a drive signal generation unit 15. The interface unit 12 receives print data and a print command from an external device 45 such as a computer or a portable information terminal, and outputs status information of the printer 1 to the external device 45 side. The memory | storage part 14 is an element which memorize | stores the data used for the program and various control of the control part 13, and contains ROM, RAM, and NVRAM (nonvolatile memory element).

  The control unit 13 controls each unit according to a program stored in the storage unit 14. In addition, the control unit 13 according to the present embodiment generates ejection data indicating at which timing from which nozzle 35 of the recording head 2 the ink is ejected based on the print data from the external device 45, and the ejection. Data is transmitted to the head controller 16 of the recording head 2. Further, the timing pulse PTS is generated from the encoder pulse output from the linear encoder 19. Then, the control unit 13 controls transfer of print data, generation of a drive signal by the drive signal generation unit 15 and the like in synchronization with the timing pulse PTS. Further, the control unit 13 generates a timing signal such as a latch signal LAT based on the timing pulse PTS and outputs the timing signal to the head control unit 16 of the recording head 2. The head controller 16 selectively applies a drive pulse in the drive signal to the piezoelectric element 32 (see FIG. 4) based on the ejection data and the timing signal. As a result, the piezoelectric element 32 is driven, and ink droplets are ejected (discharged) from the nozzles 35, or the micro-vibration operation is performed to the extent that ink droplets are not ejected. The drive signal generator 15 generates a drive signal including a drive pulse for recording an image or the like by ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a paper feed mechanism 17, a carriage moving mechanism 18, a linear encoder 19, a capping mechanism 6, a wiping mechanism 7, a nozzle inspection mechanism 8, a recording head 2, and the like. ing. The carriage moving mechanism 18 includes a carriage 3 to which the recording head 2 is attached and a drive motor (for example, a DC motor) that drives the carriage 3 via a timing belt or the like (not shown). The mounted recording head 2 is moved in the main scanning direction. The paper feed mechanism 17 includes a paper feed motor, a paper feed roller, and the like (both not shown), sequentially feeds the recording medium onto the platen 5, and moves the recording medium on the platen 5 in the sub-scanning direction. The linear encoder 19 outputs an encoder pulse corresponding to the scanning position of the recording head 2 mounted on the carriage 3 to the printer controller 11 as position information in the main scanning direction. The control unit 13 of the printer controller 11 can grasp the scanning position (current position) of the recording head 2 based on the encoder pulse received from the linear encoder 19 side.

  The nozzle inspection mechanism 8 is an inspection unit that detects defective nozzles in which ink is not normally ejected. As the nozzle inspection mechanism 8, for example, a voltage is applied to the nozzle surface 34, a detection surface (not shown) facing the nozzle surface 34 disposed at a position away from the platen 5, and the nozzle surface 34 and the detection surface. A mechanism including an application circuit and an inspection circuit (not shown) for detecting the voltage of the detection surface is used. The nozzle inspection mechanism 8 configured as described above applies an electric field between the nozzle surface 34 and the detection surface in a state where the nozzle surface 34 and the detection surface face each other, and ink is applied from the nozzle 35 toward the detection surface. A temporal change in voltage value based on electrostatic induction during movement is output to the control unit 13 as a detected waveform. With this detection waveform, it can be detected whether or not the ink has been normally ejected from the nozzle 35. That is, a defective nozzle can be detected. For example, the detection surface can be provided in a space inside the cap 51. In addition, the nozzle inspection mechanism 8 is not limited to the above configuration, and various configurations can be employed. For example, a configuration in which a defective nozzle is detected based on a back electromotive force signal of the piezoelectric element 32 caused by residual vibration when the piezoelectric element 32 is driven, or ink ejected from the nozzle 35 is photographed with a camera. A configuration for detecting a defective nozzle based on an image can be employed.

  Next, the configuration of the recording head 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the recording head 2 in the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the head unit 20. The recording head 2 in this embodiment includes a holder 21, a plurality of head units 20, and a fixed plate 22. The holder 21 is a box-like member that houses the head unit 20 and a supply flow path (not shown) for supplying ink to the head unit 20, and an ink introduction unit 24 is formed on the upper surface side. The ink introduction unit 24 is a member in which the ink introduction needles 25 are erected, and in this embodiment, a total of eight ink introduction needles 25 are arranged side by side along the main scanning direction in the ink introduction units 24. ing. The ink introduction needle 25 is a hollow needle-like member connected to the ink cartridge 10. Then, the ink inside the ink cartridge 10 is introduced from the ink introduction needle 25 into the supply channel in the holder 21 and is introduced to the head unit 20 side through the supply channel. The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the ink introduction needle 25 is inserted into the ink cartridge 10, and the porous member provided at the flow path inlet on the ink introduction unit side, and the porous member provided at the ink outlet port on the ink cartridge side It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the ink is exchanged by bringing them into contact.

  A plurality of head units 20 are attached to the bottom surface side of the holder 21. In the present embodiment, four head units 20 are arranged in parallel along the main scanning direction with the longitudinal direction aligned in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The head units 20 are bonded and fixed to the fixing plate 22 while being positioned with respect to each other. The fixed plate 22 is a metal plate material formed of, for example, stainless steel (SUS), and protects the lower surface and side surfaces of the head unit 20. In addition, four openings 23 that expose the nozzle plate 30 (that is, the nozzle surface 34) of each head unit 20 are formed in the fixed plate 22 corresponding to each head unit 20. Therefore, the nozzle 35 of each head unit 20 fixed to the holder 21 is exposed at the opening 23. The number of head units 20 attached to the recording head 2 is not limited to four, and may be one or more.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the head unit 20 in the present embodiment includes a nozzle plate 30, a flow path substrate 31, a piezoelectric element 32, a case 33, and the like, and these members are stacked. . The nozzle plate 30 is a plate-like member in which a plurality of nozzles 35 are opened in a row along the sub-scanning direction at a predetermined pitch, and are made of, for example, a silicon substrate or a metal plate material. As shown in FIG. 4, the nozzle plate 30 of this embodiment has two nozzle rows (nozzle groups) 36 each composed of a plurality of nozzles 35 arranged in parallel in the main scanning direction. The surface of the nozzle plate 30 on the side where ink is ejected from the nozzles 35 is the nozzle surface 34. That is, a plurality of nozzles 35 are opened on the nozzle surface 34. In the present embodiment, the recording head 2 includes four head units 20, and a total of two nozzle rows 36 are provided on the nozzle plate 30 of each head unit 20. The nozzle rows 36 are arranged in parallel in the main scanning direction.

  In the flow path substrate 31, a plurality of pressure chambers 37 partitioned by a plurality of partition walls are formed corresponding to the respective nozzles 35. A common liquid chamber 38 is formed outside the row of pressure chambers 37 in the flow path substrate 31. The common liquid chamber 38 communicates with each pressure chamber 37 via an ink supply port 42 having a smaller flow path area than the common liquid chamber 38. Further, the common liquid chamber 38 communicates with an ink introduction path 39 formed in the case 33 on the side opposite to the nozzle plate 30. As a result, the ink from the ink cartridge 10 side is introduced into the common liquid chamber 38 through the ink introduction path 39 of the case 33.

  Furthermore, a piezoelectric element 32 (a kind of actuator) is formed on the upper surface of the flow path substrate 31 opposite to the nozzle plate 30 side via an elastic vibration plate 40. The piezoelectric element 32 is formed, for example, by sequentially laminating a lower electrode film made of metal, a piezoelectric layer made of lead zirconate titanate, etc., and an upper electrode film made of metal (both not shown). The piezoelectric element 32 is a so-called bending mode piezoelectric element, and is formed so as to cover the upper portion of the pressure chamber 37. In the head unit 20 in the present embodiment, two piezoelectric element rows are arranged in parallel corresponding to the two nozzle rows 36. The two piezoelectric element arrays are arranged in a state where the piezoelectric elements 32 are staggered when viewed in the nozzle array direction. Each piezoelectric element 32 is deformed when a drive signal is applied from the printer controller 11 through a wiring member 41 such as a flexible cable. As a result, a pressure fluctuation occurs in the ink in the pressure chamber 37 corresponding to the piezoelectric element 32, and the ink is ejected from the nozzle 35 by controlling the pressure fluctuation of the ink.

  In the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, a defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism 8 in a liquid ejection operation (hereinafter referred to as a printing operation) in which ink is ejected from the nozzle 35 toward the recording medium and recording is performed on the recording medium. In such a case, the printing operation is interrupted and the wiping operation by the wiping mechanism 7 is performed. That is, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a driving method including a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface 34 with the wiper 54 containing the maintenance liquid in a state where the printing operation is interrupted. Hereinafter, the printing operation of the printer 1 will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the printing operation of the printer 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process of the wiping operation.

  When the control unit 13 receives print data such as an image and a print instruction from the external device 45 or the like, the printer 1 starts a printing operation (step S1). Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the printing operation, nozzle inspection is performed (step S6). That is, if all printing has not been completed (No in step S2), and if a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the printing operation (Yes in step S5), the printing operation is interrupted and the nozzle inspection mechanism is stopped. Nozzle inspection is carried out according to 8 (step S6). The start time of the printing operation includes a restart time when the printing operation is restarted after nozzle inspection or the like. That is, the nozzle inspection is performed every predetermined time after the printing operation is started. If the predetermined time has not elapsed (No in step S5), the printing operation is continued without interrupting the printing operation. The nozzle inspection can be performed without interrupting the printing operation. For example, when the recording head 2 moves from the side opposite to the home position toward the home position and reverses the direction at the home position and moves toward the side opposite to the home position, ink is ejected on the home position. A nozzle test can also be performed. Then, as a result of the nozzle inspection, if a new defective nozzle (a defective nozzle that was not found in the previous nozzle inspection when the previous nozzle inspection was performed) was found (Yes in step S7), the maintenance liquid was included. The process proceeds to a wiping step (steps S8 to S10) in which a wiping operation for wiping the nozzle surface 34 with the wiper 54 is performed. On the other hand, if no new defective nozzle is found as a result of the nozzle inspection (No in step S7), the printing operation is continued.

  In the wiping step in the present embodiment, maintenance is performed in the nozzle 35 by changing the number of times the nozzle surface 34 is wiped according to the time from when a new defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism 8 until the printing operation is completed. Adjust the amount of liquid. Specifically, when the control unit 13 determines that there is a new defective nozzle based on the inspection signal from the nozzle inspection mechanism 8, the control unit 13 calculates the time from the current time to the end of the printing operation based on the print data. The number of times of wiping the nozzle surface 34 is determined according to time (step S8). The single wiping operation is an operation in which the wiper 54 moves from one end of the lower surface of the recording head 2 to the other end (or from the other end to one end) in the main scanning direction. For example, when the time until the printing operation is completed is between 2 hours and 3 hours, the number of times of wiping the lower surface (nozzle surface 34) of the recording head 2 (the number of wiping operations) is four times (that is, the wiper 54). If the time is between 1 hour and 2 hours, the number of wiping operations is determined to be 3 times. If the time is between 30 minutes and 1 hour, the number of wiping operations is determined to be 2 (that is, the reciprocating operation of the wiper 54 is performed once), and the time is between 5 minutes and 30 minutes. In such a case, the number of wiping operations is determined as one. If the time is 5 minutes or less, the lower surface (nozzle surface 34) of the recording head 2 is not wiped, that is, the number of wiping operations is determined to be zero. In this case, since the wiping operation is not performed, the printing operation is immediately resumed (No in step S9).

  When the control unit 13 determines that the number of wiping operations is performed one or more times (Yes in step S9), the recording head 2 is moved onto the wiping mechanism 7 and the wiping mechanism 7 performs a wiping operation (step S10). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the wiping mechanism 7 is operated to convert the wiper 54 into a contact state with the nozzle surface 34 (or the lower surface of the recording head 2). The wiper 54 is moved relative to the nozzle surface 34 in accordance with the number of wiping operations determined by the control unit 13 (see the white arrow in FIG. 6). At this time, the maintenance liquid supply unit 55 is operated in advance to keep the wiper 54 wet with the maintenance liquid. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6, the maintenance liquid M enters the nozzle 35 after the wiper 54 has passed, and the maintenance liquid M can be contained in the nozzle 35. The amount of the maintenance liquid M contained in the nozzle 35 increases according to the number of times the nozzle surface 34 is wiped. That is, the amount of the maintenance liquid M increases as the time until the printing operation calculated by the control unit 13 is completed is longer. Here, since the maintenance liquid M in the present embodiment is a liquid containing a surfactant, the content of the surfactant in the ink I in the nozzle 35 (and the ink I in the pressure chamber 37) is increased, and the ink Can be suppressed. In particular, since the surfactant of the maintenance liquid in the present embodiment is the same substance as the surfactant contained in the ink, and the maintenance liquid is a liquid that is soluble in the ink, the maintenance liquid M is the ink I in the nozzle 35 or the like. (See the arrow in FIG. 6). Further, the concentration of the surfactant in the maintenance liquid is higher than the concentration of the surfactant in the ink. Thereby, surfactant can be spread to every corner of nozzle 35 grade. When the nozzle surface 34 is wiped a predetermined number of times, the wiper 54 is separated from the nozzle surface 34 (the lower surface of the recording head 2), and the process proceeds to the flushing step (step S11).

  In the flushing step, a flushing operation is performed in which ink is ejected from the nozzle 35 toward a region outside the recording medium. Specifically, the recording head 2 is moved onto the capping mechanism 6, and ink is ejected from the nozzle 35 toward the space inside the cap 51 by driving the piezoelectric element 32. At this time, it is assumed that defective nozzles that cannot discharge liquid among the defective nozzles are not discharged even if the piezoelectric element 32 is driven at least immediately after the wiping step, and the maintenance liquid remains in the nozzle 35. However, in the case of a defective nozzle such as a bent nozzle in the ejection direction of the liquid or not ejected with a desired amount of liquid, at least a part of the maintenance liquid is discharged from the nozzle 35 by the flushing step, and the effect of the maintenance liquid It is possible that the thickness will fade. Therefore, it is preferable that the piezoelectric element 32 corresponding to the defective nozzle is not driven so that ink is not ejected intentionally from the defective nozzle. Thereby, the state containing the maintenance liquid is maintained in the defective nozzle. On the other hand, ink is ejected from the normal nozzles 35 other than the defective nozzles, and ink mixed with maintenance liquid, that is, ink having a high surfactant content is discharged from the nozzles 35. Thereby, it can suppress that a maintenance liquid is contained in the ink ejected in subsequent printing operation. As a result, it is possible to suppress deterioration in image quality recorded on the recording medium. When the flushing operation is finished, the process returns to step S1 to restart the printing operation. Also in this printing operation, ink is not normally ejected from the defective nozzle, as in the flushing step. Again, it is preferable not to intentionally eject ink from the defective nozzle by not driving the piezoelectric element 32 corresponding to the defective nozzle. Note that step S1 for performing the printing operation before the wiping operation (wiping step) corresponds to the first liquid ejecting step in the present invention, and after the wiping operation (wiping step) (in this embodiment, the flushing operation (flushing step)). Step S1 of performing the printing operation later) corresponds to the second liquid ejecting step in the present invention.

  If all printing is completed (Yes in step S2), it is determined whether or not there is a defective nozzle (step S3). When there is no defective nozzle or when nozzle inspection is not performed (No in step S3), the operation of the printer 1 is terminated without performing the cleaning operation. On the other hand, when a defective nozzle is found in the nozzle inspection (Yes in step S3), a cleaning operation is performed (step S4). Specifically, the recording head 2 is moved onto the capping mechanism 6 to convert the cap 51 into a capping state. In this state, the pump unit 52 is driven to create a negative pressure in the space in the cap 51, and a large amount of ink (specifically, an amount of ink larger than the amount of ink discharged by the flushing operation) is discharged from the nozzle 35. Force to drain. As a result, ink, foreign matter, bubbles, etc. that have increased in viscosity are discharged from the defective nozzle, and the defective nozzle is restored to the normal nozzle 35. When the cleaning operation is finished, the operation of the printer 1 is finished.

  Here, in the conventional printing operation, when a defective nozzle is generated, ink is not ejected from the defective nozzle, so that the thickening of the ink in the defective nozzle proceeds until the printing operation is completed, and the ink is further in the vicinity of the nozzle. May stick to. As a result, even in the cleaning operation after the printing operation, there is a possibility that the defective nozzle is difficult to recover or the defective nozzle is not recovered. Further, if the printing operation is interrupted and a cleaning operation that requires more time than the wiping operation or the flushing operation is performed, the time until the printing operation is completed is increased accordingly. In addition, when recording an image or the like by continuously ejecting ink onto a long recording medium or the like, if the printing operation is interrupted for a long time, the printing area before the printing operation where the printing operation is interrupted and the printing after the cleaning are performed. There may be discontinuity in the drying of the ink between the region and unevenness in the discontinuous image on the printed matter. However, in the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the wiping operation for including the maintenance liquid in the nozzle 35 is performed during the printing operation. Therefore, the maintenance liquid (specifically, the surfactant) is included in the defective nozzle. Can do. Thereby, the content of the surfactant in the ink in the defective nozzle can be increased. As a result, even if the ink at the defective nozzle is thickened after the printing operation is completed, the thickened ink or foreign matter is easily separated from the wall surface in the nozzle 35 and the printing operation is finished. It can be suppressed that the recoverability of the defective nozzle is deteriorated in the cleaning operation after the cleaning. In addition, the operation time from the start to the end of the printing operation can be shortened as compared with the case where the cleaning operation is executed during the printing operation. Further, since the interruption time of the printing operation can be shortened, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of unevenness in the image even when the image is recorded by continuously ejecting ink onto a long recording medium or the like.

  Further, in this embodiment, when a defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism 8, a wiping operation is performed, so that deterioration of recoverability of the defective nozzle due to the defective nozzle being left for a long period of time can be suppressed. Further, when no defective nozzle is detected, the wiping operation is not performed, so that the operation time of the printing operation can be shortened. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, in the wiping step, the amount of maintenance liquid contained in the nozzle 35 is adjusted according to the time from when the defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism 8 to when the printing operation is finished. The consumption of maintenance liquid can be suppressed.

  In the first embodiment described above, a liquid containing a surfactant is used as the maintenance liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the printer 1 according to the second embodiment, a liquid that is less volatile than ink and difficult to mix with the ink is used as the maintenance liquid. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process of the wiping operation in the second embodiment.

  In such a wiping operation using the maintenance liquid, the nozzle surface 34 is wiped by the wiper 54 wet with the maintenance liquid in accordance with the number of wiping operations determined by the control unit 13 as in the first embodiment. . Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, the maintenance liquid M ′ enters the nozzle 35, and the maintenance liquid M ′ can be contained in the nozzle 35. The maintenance liquid M ′ in the present embodiment is less liable to volatilize than ink and is difficult to mix with the ink. Therefore, the maintenance liquid M ′ may be retained on the surface (meniscus) of the ink I in the nozzle 35. it can. Thereby, the ink I in the nozzle 35 can be protected by the maintenance liquid M ′, and the ink at the defective nozzle can be prevented from volatilizing. As in the first embodiment, by performing the flushing operation in the flushing step, ink is ejected from the normal nozzles 35 other than the defective nozzles, and the maintenance liquid M ′ is discharged from the nozzles 35. Regarding the defective nozzle, if the liquid in the pressure chamber is changed so as to eject the liquid, the maintenance liquid M ′ is discharged from the nozzle 35 or the maintenance liquid M ′ is mixed with the ink, and the inside of the nozzle 35. Since the maintenance liquid M ′ cannot be retained on the surface (meniscus) of the ink I, it is desirable that the ink is not intentionally ejected from the defective nozzle. The maintenance liquid M ′ in the defective nozzle is forcibly discharged together with ink from the nozzle 35 in the cleaning operation (step S4).

  As a result, ink thickening at the defective nozzle can be suppressed, and deterioration of the recoverability of the defective nozzle can be suppressed in the cleaning operation after the printing operation is completed. That is, the maintenance liquid M ′ in the present embodiment is also a liquid that can suppress the recovery of the defective nozzle from deteriorating. As such a maintenance liquid M ′, for example, an oil-based liquid or a liquid having a higher viscosity than ink can be used because the fluidity decreases when the viscosity is high. Other operations, configurations, and the like of the printer 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  Further, in the wiping operation of each embodiment described above, the long blade-like wiper 54 is relatively moved in the main scanning direction along the nozzle row direction to wipe the nozzle surface 34, but this is not limited thereto. Absent. For example, a configuration in which a blade-like wiper that is long along a direction orthogonal to the nozzle row direction is moved relatively in the nozzle row direction to wipe the nozzle surface 34 may be employed. Further, it is possible to employ a configuration in which the nozzle surfaces 34 of the head unit 20 arranged in parallel with the recording head 2 are individually wiped.

  For example, in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of blade-like wipers 54 that are long along the direction orthogonal to the nozzle row direction are provided corresponding to the nozzle surface 34 of the head unit 20. Here, four head units 20 are arranged side by side along the main scanning direction, and four nozzle surfaces 34 exposed from the openings 23 of the fixed plate 22 are arranged side by side along the main scanning direction. Correspondingly, four wipers 54 are arranged in the same direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the wiping mechanism 7 'includes four wipers 54a to 54d corresponding to the four nozzle surfaces 34a to 34d. The wipers 54a to 54d are configured to be independently movable along the nozzle row direction. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above, description thereof is omitted.

  In the wiping operation of the printer 1 configured as described above, only the nozzle surface 34 in which a defective nozzle is found is wiped out of the four nozzle surfaces 34a to 34d. For example, in the nozzle inspection (step S6), as shown in FIG. 8, when a defective nozzle N is found on the nozzle surface 34c, only the wiper 54c corresponding to the nozzle surface 34c is moved, and only the nozzle surface 34c is moved. Wipe away. Specifically, the wiping mechanism 7 ′ is operated to move the wipers 54 a to 54 d to positions where they can contact the nozzle surfaces 34 a to 34 d of the recording head 2. At this time, the maintenance liquid supply unit 55 is operated in advance to supply the maintenance liquid only to the wiper 54c. In this state, the wiper 54c is moved in the nozzle row direction (see the broken line arrow in FIG. 8). Thereby, only the nozzle surface 34c with the defective nozzle N can be wiped off, and the maintenance liquid can be included only in the nozzle 35 opened in the nozzle surface 34c. Thereby, the consumption of a maintenance liquid can be suppressed. In addition, the maintenance liquid can be prevented from entering the nozzles 35 opened to the other nozzle surfaces 34a, 34b, and 34d, and the ink ejected from these nozzles 35 in the subsequent printing operation includes the maintenance liquid. It can suppress more reliably. Also in the subsequent flushing operation, control is performed so that ink is ejected only from the nozzles 35 opened in the nozzle surface 34c. In this way, the ink consumption can be suppressed in the head unit 20 having no defective nozzle N. Other operations, configurations, and the like of the printer 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  By the way, in the above-described embodiment, the nozzle inspection by the nozzle inspection mechanism 8 is performed every predetermined time, but is not limited thereto. For example, the nozzle inspection may not be performed, that is, the wiping operation may be performed so that the maintenance liquid is included in the nozzle 35 every predetermined time regardless of whether there is a defective nozzle. In the above-described embodiment, the number of times of wiping the nozzle surface 34 is changed according to the time from when a new defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism 8 to when the printing operation is completed. I can't. The nozzle surface 34 may be wiped at least once. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the flushing operation is performed after the wiping operation in which the maintenance liquid is included in the nozzle 35. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a maintenance liquid that has little influence on image quality is used, or when some deterioration in image quality is allowed, the printing operation can be shifted to the printing operation after the wiping operation without performing the flushing operation.

  In the above-described embodiment, after all the printing operations are completed, it is determined whether or not there is a defective nozzle. When a defective nozzle is found in the nozzle inspection, the cleaning operation is performed. Not limited. Regardless of the presence or absence of a defective nozzle, for example, the cleaning operation may be performed every predetermined time or every predetermined print job. Furthermore, the wiping mechanism 7 provided in the printer 1 is not limited to one. For example, a wiping mechanism including a wiper to which a maintenance liquid containing a surfactant as in the first embodiment described above is supplied, and an ink that is less volatile than the ink as described in the second embodiment, and And a wiping mechanism including a wiper to which a maintenance liquid that is difficult to mix (not melt) is supplied. In the wiping operation, either one of these two wiping mechanisms may be used, or both of them may be used. In the latter case, first, after performing a wiping operation in which a maintenance liquid containing a surfactant is included in the nozzle, a maintenance liquid that does not volatilize and does not easily mix with ink (does not melt) is included in the nozzle. Perform wiping operation. Note that the maintenance liquid does not need to include a pigment, a resin, or the like as long as it is possible to suppress deterioration of the recoverability of a defective nozzle in which ink is not normally ejected.

  Further, in the above-described third embodiment, the wiper 54a to 54d is provided for each of the nozzle surfaces 34a to 34d so that each of the nozzle surfaces 34a to 34d can be wiped individually. However, the present invention is not limited to this. . For example, a wiper may be provided for each nozzle row 36 so that each nozzle row 36 can be wiped individually. In each of the above-described embodiments, the so-called flexural vibration type piezoelectric element 32 is illustrated as an actuator that causes pressure fluctuation in the ink in the pressure chamber 37, but is not limited thereto. For example, various actuators such as a so-called longitudinal vibration type piezoelectric element, a heating element, and an electrostatic actuator that varies the volume of the pressure chamber by using electrostatic force can be employed. Further, as the recording head 2, a so-called serial head that performs ink ejection while scanning (reciprocating) in a direction (main scanning direction) intersecting the recording medium conveyance direction (sub-scanning direction) is illustrated. Not limited. The present invention can also be applied to a printer having a so-called line head in which a plurality of recording heads are arranged in the width direction of the recording medium.

  In the above description, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 has been described as an example of the liquid ejecting apparatus. However, the present invention can also be applied to other liquid ejecting apparatuses. For example, an electrode material ejecting head used for electrode formation such as a liquid ejecting apparatus including a color material ejecting head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, and an FED (surface emitting display) The present invention can also be applied to a liquid ejecting apparatus that includes the bioorganic matter ejecting head that is used for manufacturing a liquid ejecting apparatus and a biochip (biochemical element). In a color material ejecting head for a display manufacturing apparatus, a solution of each color material of R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue) is ejected as a kind of liquid. Further, an electrode material ejecting head for an electrode forming apparatus ejects a liquid electrode material as a kind of liquid, and a bioorganic matter ejecting head for a chip manufacturing apparatus ejects a bioorganic solution as a kind of liquid.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer, 2 ... Recording head, 3 ... Carriage, 4 ... Guide rod, 5 ... Platen, 6 ... Capping mechanism, 7 ... Wiping mechanism, 8 ... Nozzle inspection mechanism, 10 ... Ink cartridge, 11 ... Printer controller, 12 ... Interface unit, 13 ... control unit, 14 ... storage unit, 15 ... drive signal generation unit, 16 ... head control unit, 17 ... paper feed mechanism, 18 ... carriage moving mechanism, 19 ... linear encoder, 20 ... head unit, 21 ... Holder 22 ... Fixing plate 23 ... Opening part 24 ... Ink introduction unit 25 ... Ink introduction needle 30 ... Nozzle plate 31 ... Flow path substrate 32 ... Piezoelectric element 33 ... Case 34 ... Nozzle surface 35 ... Nozzle, 36 ... Nozzle row, 37 ... Pressure chamber, 38 ... Common liquid chamber, 39 ... Ink introduction path, 40 ... Vibration plate, 41 ... Wiring Wood, 42 ... ink supply port, 45 ... external device, 51 ... cap, 52 ... pump unit, 54 ... wipers, 55 ... maintenance liquid supply unit

Claims (10)

It is possible to suppress deterioration of the recoverability of a liquid ejecting head that has a nozzle opened on the nozzle surface, ejects liquid from the nozzle, a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface, and a defective nozzle that does not eject the liquid normally. A liquid ejecting apparatus including a maintenance liquid,
A first liquid ejecting step for performing a liquid ejecting operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium;
A wiping step of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the wiper and including the maintenance liquid in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation is interrupted;
And a second liquid ejecting step for restarting the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping step. A method of driving a liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising: a liquid ejecting head that has a nozzle opened on a nozzle surface, and ejects liquid from the nozzle; a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface; and a maintenance liquid containing a surfactant. There,
A first liquid ejecting step for performing a liquid ejecting operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium;
A wiping step of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the wiper and including the maintenance liquid in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation is interrupted;
And a second liquid ejecting step for restarting the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping step. The liquid is a liquid containing a surfactant,
The surfactant contained in the maintenance liquid is the same substance as the surfactant contained in the liquid,
The method for driving a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the concentration of the surfactant in the maintenance liquid is higher than the concentration of the surfactant in the liquid. A liquid ejection head that has a nozzle that is open on the nozzle surface, ejects a liquid from the nozzle, a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface, a maintenance liquid that is less volatile than the liquid and difficult to mix with the liquid; A method of driving a liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
A first liquid ejecting step for performing a liquid ejecting operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium;
A wiping step of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the wiper and including the maintenance liquid in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation is interrupted;
And a second liquid ejecting step for restarting the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping step. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a nozzle inspection mechanism that detects defective nozzles in which the liquid is not ejected normally.
5. The method for driving a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiping step performs a wiping operation when a defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism. 6.   In the wiping step, the amount of the maintenance liquid contained in the nozzle is adjusted according to the time from when the defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism to when the liquid ejection operation on the medium is completed. The method for driving the liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5. A flushing step for performing a flushing operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward a region outside the medium after the wiping step and before the second liquid ejecting step,
The method for driving a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the flushing step, liquid is not ejected from the defective nozzle. A liquid ejecting head having a nozzle that is open on the nozzle surface and ejecting liquid from the nozzle;
A wiper for wiping the nozzle surface;
A maintenance liquid supply mechanism that supplies a maintenance liquid capable of suppressing deterioration of recoverability of a defective nozzle in which the liquid is not normally ejected to at least one of the nozzle surface and the wiper, and
Wiping in which the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper and the maintenance liquid supplied by the maintenance liquid supply mechanism is included in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium is interrupted A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising an operation mode of performing an operation and then restarting the liquid ejecting operation. A liquid ejecting head having a nozzle that is open on the nozzle surface and ejecting liquid from the nozzle;
A wiper for wiping the nozzle surface;
A maintenance liquid supply mechanism for supplying a maintenance liquid containing a surfactant to at least one of the nozzle surface and the wiper,
Wiping in which the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper and the maintenance liquid supplied by the maintenance liquid supply mechanism is included in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium is interrupted A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising an operation mode of performing an operation and then restarting the liquid ejecting operation. A liquid ejecting head having a nozzle that is open on the nozzle surface and ejecting liquid from the nozzle;
A wiper for wiping the nozzle surface;
A maintenance liquid supply mechanism that supplies a maintenance liquid that is less volatile than the liquid and is less likely to mix with the liquid to the nozzle surface or at least one of the wipers,
Wiping in which the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper and the maintenance liquid supplied by the maintenance liquid supply mechanism is included in the nozzle in a state where the liquid ejection operation for ejecting liquid from the nozzle toward the medium is interrupted A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising an operation mode of performing an operation and then restarting the liquid ejecting operation.

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